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Amplifying Student Voices to Create Dining Experiences That Build Belonging
The Belonging Effect: How Industry Communities Fuel Careers, Creativity, and Confidence
From campus ballrooms to global convention centers, professional associations aren't just networking hubs. They're career accelerators, creative incubators, and the support systems event pros didn't know they needed. This is true for all industries but especially for hospitality, and specifically for meetings and events.
Walk into any great event and you feel it immediately…the buzz of conversation, the quick smiles, the impromptu introductions that start with, "Oh, you have to meet so-and-so." That's the magic of belonging. And in the event and hospitality industry, it's more than a warm-and-fuzzy perk. It's a strategy for staying relevant, inspired, and resilient in a fast-changing profession.
What Industry Research Reveals About Membership Participation
In a 2021 study published in the Journal of Hospitality & Tourism Education, researchers found a telling pattern when surveying leading hospitality and tourism scholars: those who rated a professional association as “most important" retained their memberships for an average of 16.6 years.1
Many took on multiple roles, citing personal growth, skill-building, expanded opportunities, and shaping the industry's future as core motivators. This belonging effect doesn't happen by accident. It starts with access to opportunities to connect and a shared sense of experience that turns work into something deeper.
Leading hospitality and tourism scholars who rated a professional association as “most important” retained their memberships for an average of 16.6 years.1
Why Confidence, Resilience, and Well-Being Grow Inside Community Memberships
Across the global meeting landscape, powerhouse communities stand ready to deliver that experience—communities with whom Sodexo already has a strong working relationship. Associations like Meeting Professionals International (MPI), and Association of Collegiate Conference and Events Directors International (ACCED-I) offer members a professional and personal incentive for both industry newbies and lifers to collectively rally and recharge, commiserate and congratulate, and encourage and educate one another.
At the center of our event industry's collective heartbeat is the Events Industry Council (EIC), which unites more than 30 associations and 103,500 event professionals. It's worth pausing and appreciating the size of that community and the spectrum of experiences it provides (both relatable and new). And considering that more than 17 million people in the U.S. work in the hospitality and leisure sector, these highly specific communities that we build and in which we participate go a long way in building a sense of belonging and inspiring our shared passion.
Sodexo is such a strong supporter of professional membership participation that we rely on it as an essential part of our business and as an integrated part of the successful strategies we offer to our partner colleges and universities. Our event professionals lean heavily on the close partnerships we’ve developed within MPI and EIC to help our clients build those close bonds and casual connections that not only provide direct and indirect support, but that often lead to opportunities for increased revenue, efficiency, collaboration, sourcing solutions, and more.
Associations offer members a professional and personal incentive to collectively rally and recharge, commiserate and congratulate, and encourage and educate one another.
How Association Memberships Impact Personal & Professional Growth
The impact of industry membership has been recognized in a few premier trade publications, such as in Skift Meetings’ Megatrends 2025 report, which reinforces the message that staying plugged into the right networks is a survival skill in an industry that moves at high speed.2 Meanwhile, BizBash's 10 Most Innovative Meetings List reveals a common denominator behind the most memorable events of the year: they were driven by professionals who met, learned from, and collaborated through their association networks.3
Networking isn't just about climbing the corporate ladder — it's about belonging, which in turn provides a sense of well-being and helps build your confidence. Psychological research confirms that community membership boosts confidence, builds resilience, and deepens professional identity.4
In the event and hospitality industry, that might look like a chance conversation that sparks a new idea, a mentorship pairing that changes a career path, or the quiet encouragement from peers who understand the unique challenges of the profession.
The common denominator behind the most memorable events of the year? They were driven by professionals who met, learned from, and collaborated through their association networks.2
Practical Ways to Get Involved & Build Your Network
Getting started is easier than most think, and it is 100% all about choice. However, the benefits you reap rely completely on taking action! Many ubiquitous adages have stood the test of time for a reason, and the following is no exception: you get out what you put in.
Show up consistently, whether it’s at local chapter mixers or virtual roundtables. Say yes to a small volunteer role. And perhaps most importantly, work those "weak ties." In other words, make it a point to meet a couple of new people at each gathering, then follow up with them. Over time, those light connections can often lead to the biggest breakthroughs.
For those organizations without the bandwidth or resources to get started on their own, Sodexo’s event professionals can help ease entry into this world where support, connections, personal and professional growth, and potential opportunities are ready and waiting.
The Bottom Line: Community Is Essential for Success
The truth is, belonging to professional communities isn't a side benefit. As an organization, Sodexo believes that it is the foundation for sustained success.
Whether your badge reads MPI, PCMA, ACCED-1, FLEX, AMPS, ASAE, or any other trusted network in or beyond the EIC, your membership is more than a line on your resume. It is your entry ticket to a community that will help grow your skills, expand your reach, and keep you inspired through every twist and turn of the industry.
Sources
- Huang, W. J., King, B., & Law, R. (2021). To Engage or Not? Leading Scholar Memberships and Involvement in Hospitality and Tourism Associations. Journal of Hospitality & Tourism Education, 34(3), 185–198. https://doi.org/10.1080/10963758.2021.1963743
- Skift Meetings Megatrends 2025. (2024, December 16). Skift Meetings. https://meetings.skift.com/reports/skift-meetings-megatrends-2025/
- Most Innovative Meetings of 2025. (2025). BizBash. https://www.bizbash.com/meetings/most-innovative-meetings-of-2025
- Jetten, J., Branscombe, N. R., Haslam, S. A., Haslam, C., Cruwys, T., Jones, J. M., Cui, L., Dingle, G., Liu, J., Murphy, S., Thai, A., Walter, Z., & Zhang, A. (2015). Having a Lot of a Good Thing: Multiple Important Group Memberships as a Source of Self-Esteem. PLOS ONE, 10(5), e0124609. https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pone.0124609
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